Sidestream capnograph

RE: Sidestream capnograph

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 19:42:23 GMT

I second the reply about the website
http://www.capnography.com

RE: Sidestream capnograph

lskm 23 — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 19:04:06 GMT

We have just started using capnography as well. Are there any reps out there that can come in and talk about it?

RE: Sidestream capnograph

Susanna Taylor — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 02:55:33 GMT

Few thing to check on your machine- if it does have a water trap, make sure this is checked every day and emptied as necc. If water gets past this your machine is v damaged! Some machines have reusable water traps, some have disposable (as much as anything is disposable in vet med!). If no water trap, keep a close eye on your line. Having two or more is a good idea. They can be hard to dry if very wet, you can rig something up to use a 20ml syringe to blow the water out.

Secondly if it does have a scavenging port, you should use it as it is blowing out all the gas it samples at a rate of up to 200mls a min. This can accumulate in a small room. You can get a tube that runs from the port straight into your scavenging tubing.

Re the FiCO2, below 5mmHg is fine as previously mentioned but keep an eye on the trend of it too. If it high with non-breathing systems like tPiece and Bain, you need to increase your fresh gas flow. Vice versa to this you can use it to reduced your FGF to the safest amount- if they are not rebreathing you can turn it down a bit until they are, then back up a bit. Saves money (to help pay for capnograph!).

Capnographs unfortunately dont give any info regarding n2o use. They dont measure n2o and FiCO2 is not effected by n20. You can get fancy gas modules that specifically measure n2o and often inhalation agents and are a useful addition if you have the option.

A nice thread as its great to hear of capnographs being used lots!!

RE: Sidestream capnograph

Nick Shackleton — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 17:58:08 GMT

It should be 0 but you are always going to get a small amount of rebreathing, due to dead space in circuit. Capnograph partixularly handy when using low rates with circles systems and other low flow rate circuits, such as ADE. Aalso handy when using nitrous oxcide. We only replace the lines when they became damaged or used for a infectious case. the moisture traps should also be changed in a regular bases. Never needed to scavenge capnograph seperately

RE: Sidestream capnograph

Emmeline Macedo — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 12:40:47 GMT

Hi, I believe it is the amount of CO2 being breathed in by the patient - so you may get higher levels if an animal was rebreathing, for example. It should ideally be 0mmHg, but I think our machine alarms when it goes above 5mmHg

RE: Sidestream capnograph

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 18:43:37 GMT

Have a couple of lines so one can dry and one can be in use have done that due to tight boss. No apparent problem with readings after it dried

RE: Sidestream capnograph

Vicky Ford-Fennah — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 23:04:09 GMT

You just need to change it when you get condensation in the line or if it damaged or dirty.

A really useful website to help you get the most from your capnograph is capnography.com

Hope that helps

Vicky

RE: Sidestream capnograph

Sierra Bravo — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 16:10:28 GMT

and does anyone have a decent definition of fractional inspired CO2? im assuming its the amount of CO2 being breathed back in?